Devices suspended from the rims of toilet bowls, to dispense freshening and/or cleaning preparations, are well known. In one form, such a device comprises a cage used to retain a replaceable block impregnated with disinfectant and/or freshening agent. When the toilet is flushed, the flush water passes through the cage and degrades part of the block. The active substances from the block are entrained in the water and thus pass out into the toilet bowl.
More recently rim mounted toilet cleaning and freshening devices have become available which include a porous pad in communication with a reservoir of a viscous liquid cleaning and freshening substance. The liquid substance saturates the pad and is drawn out when flush water is directed over the pad. As active cleaning liquid is flushed from the pad, further liquid is supplied from the reservoir to re-saturate the pad. An example of this type of device is described and claimed in European Patent Application 0 785 315.
Existing liquid dispensing devices of the type disclosed in EP 0 785 315 tend to be quite complex in design so as to prevent excess amounts of active substances emanating from the reservoir, collecting on the already saturated pad, and dripping. Further, with existing products, the source of the active substances is in contact with the pad at all times and, between flushes re-saturates the pad. However, owing to typical viscosities of the active substances, it takes a period of time (typically 15 to 20 minutes) to re-saturate the pad after a flush. Thus, if the toilet is flushed in quick succession, insufficient active substance will have collected on the pad, and thus be released, to provide efficacious results.
It is an object of this invention to provide a simple yet effective form of rim mounted toilet bowl dispenser which dispenses a viscous liquid active substance but which addresses at least some of the drawbacks mentioned above; or which will at least provide a useful choice.